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ENGINEERING FIRM DEVELOP 'BREAKTHROUGH' SOLUTION TO TOYOTA BRAKE PROBLEM

Michael Putz, inventor of the mechatronic brake which could solve Toyota's problems

Friday February 5,2010

By John Morris

AN Austrian engineering firm has claimed it knows how to fix Toyota’s problem with their hybrid Prius cars.

The beleaguered motoring giant suffered another set-back after the US Transportation Department opened an investigation into brake problems in the 2010 Toyota Prius model.

The decision follows an admission from the Japanese firm that it had had design problems with the brakes in the best-selling petrol-electric hybrid.

The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it had received 124 reports from drivers about the problem, including four crashes.

Now an investigation will look into claims of loss of braking capability while travelling over uneven road surfaces such as potholes and bumps.

But Vienna Engineering claim they know what is causing the problem and have solved it with a hybrid braking system.

PROBLEM: The Toyota Prius

They are working on a “mechatronic” brake which, they claim, gets round problems caused by braking systems in electric cars.

Mechatronic is a cross between mechanical and electronic and means a mechanical brake which is operated by electric motors.

Michael Putz, inventor of the mechatronic brake, said his idea did away with anti-lock braking (ABS) as well as the problems caused by a lack of brake pressure which can occur in electric cars.

Mr Putz said: “When you take away the petrol engine you lose the vacuum.

We would gladly work with Toyota to find a solution

Vienna Engineering CEO Christian Wunsc

“The hybrid cars like the Prius have to have additional electric pumps to make them work.

“Additionally, when the car switches from petrol to electric drive, complicated software has to be in place to ensure the right feeling. The software blends the two systems together - without this you can’t brake confidently”.

“If Toyota took up my invention, the blending problem would be solved. My brake cannot block, so we do away with ABS. It’s the future of Electric vehicles.”

Vienna Engineering’s CEO, Christian Wunsch said that although the mechatronic braking system was not yet in production, the company was in talks with brake manufacturers and would welcome talks with Toyota.

Mr Wunsch said: “VE is seeking the right Global Partner to realise the mechatronic brake. We would gladly work with Toyota to find a solution. Toyota’s reputation has been excellent over the last decades and we are ready to help them back to the top.”

Shares in Toyota slumped to their lowest level for 10 months on the Tokyo Stock Exchange on Thursday, with concern about the safety of the company's vehicles.

This latest shock for the Japanese carmaker - the world's number one - follows worldwide recalls of almost eight million cars due to floor mat and pedal problems.

That includes 1.8 million cars across Europe – with 180,865 of those in the UK.

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